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Illegal is to law as ______ is to regulation?
Laws are created legislative bodies, but regulations are created by organizations. It would be wrong to say
It is illegal for servicemen enlisted in the US Army to have mohawks.
Because there is no law on hair dress. But there is a regulation.
Regulatory agencies in the U.S., e.g., Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) develop regulations to implement laws. When parties subject to these regulations violate them, they are said to be out of compliance or non-compliant. In such cases, the regulator may issue Notices of Violation, which could carry civil penalties, depending on factors such as severity, adverse impact, willfulness, and repetitive nature of the violation. So with regard to your first example, the correct word is non-compliant:
Illegal is to law as non-compliant is to regulation.
You second example is different, because the Army is not a regulator in the sense that OSHA, NRC, and EPA are. That is not to say, however, that the Army can't make rules or establish requirements applicable to those in the Army; so one soldier could say to a subordinate, "That's against [Army] regulations". So, as to your second example, one could write:
"It is against (Army) regulations for servicemen enlisted in the US Army to have mohawks."
Or one soldier could say to another soldier sporting a mohawk:
"That's a non-regulation haircut."
Several commenters have mentioned non-regulation.
Illegal is to law as irregular is to regulation.
Cambridge Dictionary:
irregular adjective (RULE)
formal (of behaviour or actions) not according to usual rules or what is expected:
Releasing the goods without an invoice is most irregular.
regulation noun
an official rule or the act of controlling something: safety/health/traffic/fire/security regulations.
I don't think there is a word. I would say against regulations in your example sentence. The fact that this is a common collocation seems to indicate to me that there is indeed no single word.
A couple of words that are “one notch down from” illegal are forbidden and prohibited:
forbidden:
Macmillan Dictionary:
not allowed according to a rule, law, or custom
not permitted or allowed
Not allowed; banned.
prohibited is the past participle of prohibit, which is defined as:
Merriam-Webster:
to forbid by authority <Parking is prohibited.>
to officially forbid something:
The law prohibits smoking in restaurants.
You might also say something like
Mohawks are banned in the US Army.
but banned wouldn’t make sense in your example sentence.
Your example complicates matters. The military can enforce its own regulations and punish violators. So there really isn't any distinction for those subject to the UCMJ. The UMCJ is law, but it delegates authority to commanders to enforce regulations. Generally, you are deemed in violation of regulations.
example:
The Standard Organization and Regulations of the U.S. Navy (SORM), OPNAVINST 3120.32, is applicable to all members of the U.S. Navy. Its purpose is to issue regulations and guidance governing the conduct of all members of the U.S. Navy. The regulations included in the manual are not intended to contradict or supersede any provision of Navy Regulations.
As an MA, you should know and understand the contents of the SORM as it provides guidance in performing the duties of the MA, defines U.S. Navy and unit organization, and outlines regulations that you may be responsible for enforcing. This chapter only discusses the regulations. The material in the SORM that is printed in italicized type is regulatory and applies to each member of the U.S. Navy. Violation of any provision of these regulations is punishable under the UCMJ. The material printed in plain type in the SORM is for the guidance of commanders, COs, and officers in charge (OICs).
emphasis mine. http://www.tpub.com/maa/6.htm
Many regulations have criminal provisions. Many regs are written after congress passes an act and authorizes an agency to write the rules. So illegal is not necessarily a right or wrong term to use pertaining to regulatory misdeeds.
